Asian-American Ally Tests Russia-to-Europe Trade Route

A South Korean container ship has successfully completed a trial voyage to Europe via Russia's Northern Sea Route.

A South Korean container ship has completed a test round trip to Europe via the Russian North Sea route, demonstrating the potential of the Arctic crossing as a commercial shipping corridor.

Despite joining some Western sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine conflict, Seoul considers maritime cooperation with Russia important to its business strategy. Chinese shipping companies have also been exploring the strategic Arctic route.

The Panstar Akro returned to Busan on Sunday, 50 days after sailing to Europe along the northern coast of Russia. The ship arrived at Felixstowe in the UK on September 12 and Rotterdam in the Netherlands the next day. Also called Gdansk, Poland before returning to South Korea.

President Lee Jae-myung congratulated the crew on their safe return and thanked them for their work. The trip, which cut travel time in each direction by nearly ten days compared to the traditional route through the Suez Canal, provided valuable navigational experience and data as South Korea prepares for the "Arctic Route Era," Lee wrote in X.

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Asian interest in the North Sea route has increased amid turmoil in the Middle East. However, the Russian Arctic Passage presents challenges, including a limited navigation season and the potential need for icebreaker escort.

Earlier this month, Russian nuclear company RosAtom, which operates the North Sea route through a subsidiary and maintains a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, welcomed Panstar Akro's eastward passage. The ship crossed the Arctic Circle in just 5.85 days, compared to 6.4 days on the westward journey.

Russia's timely navigational guidance and information on weather and ice conditions "enabled route optimization and adherence to the planned schedule," RosAtom said.

For decades, Russia used the North Sea route to supply its hard-to-reach settlements in the north. As international traffic increases due to climate change, Moscow is rapidly developing the infrastructure needed to support it.

According to Yonhap, the operator of the 2,758 TEU vessel had hoped to finish the trip faster but still deemed the test a success. The delay was relatively minor and the ship did not encounter any major incidents.

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South Korean ships previously made test voyages through the North Sea route in 2013 and 2016, but the Panstar Acro was the first ship to make a round trip to Europe. Seoul expects regular service along the Russian route to begin in 2030, with larger, more profitable ships using the passage by 2035, with Busan serving as a gateway port.

South Korea has joined some US-backed sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, but has not directly sanctioned Russia's nuclear program. Seoul has also recently been embroiled in a diplomatic row with Kiev after it refused to send arms to Ukraine after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky revealed a deal to transfer two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia to South Korea.

Meanwhile, Chinese shipping company Sea Legend Shipping earlier this year announced the start of regular seasonal deliveries from Ningbo-Zhoushan to European ports including Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Gdansk and Hamburg. Arctic Express services focus on time-sensitive shipments, the company said.